tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54549918989821866992024-03-13T16:51:06.156-05:00Miscellaneous TurdsMiscellaneous Turds are the rants of an invisible man. Now these rants will not be malicious or mean spirited. However, they will be outragous and quazi rediculous! If you find yourself offended in anyway just remember that it is not about you! (And, you can get your own blog and post your own ideas!)LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.comBlogger281125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-48011244862837674432015-01-02T18:58:00.000-05:002015-01-02T19:04:13.469-05:00Oh Yeah... Bullshit! by A. Dacosta BrathwayJanuary 2nd, Friday... So, what's it going to be? Lose weight? Stop smoking? What? It's 2015 and I am sure the resolutions are flying! But why? You know you are not going to follow through... If you're fat on January 1, you will be fat on April 1 (April Fools Day!).<br />
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Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with making new year's resolutions. The problem is sticking with them! Hey, get in shape. Prolong your life! Do it year round. Why wait for January 1 to be your starting point every year? (I know, you love the Ground Hog's day effect!) Why say you are going to start going to church when you know you are a practicing atheist? Don't say you are going to stop smoking when you know you love weed! (Oops, my bad. You meant cigarettes!) <br />
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Have I ever made any new year's resolutions? Hell yeah! Never followed through on any of them! I once said that I would stop cursing... Sshhiitt! I used to think that I had some sort of control over my life! Sshhiitt! Oh yeah, there was that time when I said I would stop drinking alcohol... (Sshhiitt, I just knocked over my Jack!) Hold on, my computer is acting weird... Oh sshhiitt, I think it's gonna blow...LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-88710461301384310772014-12-28T17:20:00.001-05:002014-12-28T17:20:20.430-05:00Ain't This Some Crap?December 28th, Sunday... I just read a short piece that flipped my brain! (I feel concussed...) A high school basketball team was disallowed to participate in a basketball tourney because they wore "I Can't Breathe" t-shirts! Now, I did hear this last night on a sports talk radio program but I was half asleep. I thought I heard the commentator take the position that a high school student should not have a political stance because he/she is under aged. Okay, what am I not getting?<br />
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This is America, the land of the free and the home of the brave? A Constitution does exist, no? Is there such a thing as "freedom of speech?" I'm confused... Regardless of the fact that there seems to be some civil rights infractions; Not to mention the killing(s) of Black men for various reasons... I mean high school students should not take A STAND BECAUSE THEY ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL? <br />
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If the future of America is on the backs of the youth of our nation, why should they not take a stand? No civil disobedience has taken place. The very freedom that has been taken advantage of by those who are doing the judging is being made a mockery of, in my opinion. But, I have to understand that an opinion is a judgment as well and maybe mine does not count(?)! Maybe their opinion should not count either but... Oh, I get it. They are running the tournament! You cannot play because (WE) say you can't! And, why be threatened by a t-shirt? Maybe no one should play because they are simply out of breath? LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-71589744034592553832014-12-22T19:13:00.000-05:002014-12-22T19:14:12.204-05:00Never Thought I'd See You Again! by A. Dacosta BrathwayDecember 22nd, Monday... Man! It has been soooo long since last posted, I thought I didn't have a blog anymore! What was I thinking? So much has happened. Black men being hunted by the police. RGIII proves me right by not being a "Franchise Quarterback!" The Redskins stink. (So does the Giants and the Jets!) Bill Cosby looks more and more like pervert as the days go by! "Ratchet TV is gaining momentum. TV producers have found a way to make Black folks look more and more like assholes to white viewers...(...if they watch it instead of the news?) What else?<br />
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So what now? I plan to jump back on MT. The new year is coming in and I am refocused. A lot has changed for me. All of my security blankets are gone. I am out here on my own, for real! It's no biggie. I've been a loner all my life. Now I am on the tight rope without a net. Hey, it could be worse... I could (NOT) be on a tight rope at all. In other words, I am back on the blog! (Get it?)LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-33639717836626969812013-09-16T10:16:00.000-05:002013-09-16T10:16:10.730-05:00Awww Shit!September 16th, Monday... Say what you want Redskins fans but RGIII is STILL injured! Considering how quarterbacks are treated in DC, the CIA is managing all information and correspondence concerning Robert Griffin III's condition. <br />
The Redskins are not running the same offense they ran last season because RGIII cannot run it. Basically, he cannot run. He's gimpy. He tentative... He's unsure. <br />
Here is where being a media whore means nothing... It does not matter what he (RGIII) says in front of a microphone, he cannot back up what he says right now. That's why he should shut up and rehab! Get football ready! Forget your brand. Forget your commercials. Forget drawing attention to yourself... (How did the "Operation Patience" t-shirt thing work out for you?) Okay, so you did not have a preseason. Ask Mike Shanahan why that did not happen? He probably (still) does not trust you after the stunt you pulled last season. (Shanahan is still trying to get that "Metrobus" off of his ass!) <br />
So, the 'Skins are now 0-2 with two more games to go before their bye. If they go 0-2 or 1-1, rush hour in DC will never be the same. It's not to say that the team cannot turn this thing around. But "things gotta change!" They need an attitude adjustment. They are not as good as they were last year. A lot of things change for teams from season to season, even when you have the exact same players! C'mon 'Skins... Your division sucks! There is hope. The hope is that the team steps up and stop believing the hype!LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-54509554351023105162013-09-09T11:33:00.000-05:002013-09-09T11:33:17.598-05:00When the Shit Hits the FanSeptember 9th, Monday... Well it's pro football time! Not a good time for me. Pro football time means that the summer is over. Damn the official date, the Fall is coming! That means I will soon have to rake leaves, break out my warm gear, and be deprived of looking at heavily cladded women.<br />
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I live in Redskin country so that means the ban wagon Redskins will be out in full force! That, in itself is not a bad thing but with the addition of RGIII (Robert Griffin the 3rd) back in the lineup, the sports news reporting will be off the chain! I'm sick of it!<br />
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RGIII is a pain in the ass to me! Every time I turn around, he is holding a press conference. Why? Is it necessary to reveal every single step he had to take to get back on the field? Was it necessary to talk about "Operation Patience?" Is he that engaging that I have to hear about everything he has and is doing? He's a football player, that's it! <br />
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You may think I don't like him... To be honest, he is not the problem. The media, in DC, reminds me of suburban housewives meeting for breakfast at a girlfriend's house, drinking Starbucks coffee while sitting in a breakfast nook! "Blah, blah, blah..." Let the warriors play their game! Stop making RGIII a "media whore!" It seems like quarterbacks in other cities are football players. A quarterback in DC is a fluff piece talking head!<br />
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Tonight is the night! After eight months of RGIII being hurt, he gets to show out against the Philly Eagles! You need to bring it tonight, all the shit you talked! And don't get hurt! If his knee gives out tonight, all hell is going to break loose! (Keep your head on a swivel Mike Shanahan!)LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-77241220283380577002013-09-06T12:55:00.000-05:002013-09-06T12:55:34.296-05:00Shit!!!September 6th, Friday... Damn! It has been way too long since I last posted! Truth of the matter is, I have been psychologically incapacitated. I've been wrestling w/ such subject matter as to whether or not I am a worthy Christian... A "Down" Brotha? (That is not to be confused w/ being a "down low brother!") Should I go back to school to get a doctorate (Hell NO!) or just educate myself like I've been incarcerated? My writing has suffered because my brain feels like a hard scrambled egg!<br />
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Well, I am over it all now! I could not even figure out if I am a "writer?" I write all the time! I am even published as it were. I am a writer! So, it's time to write! I have a project to do. It's BIG! I have some small ones to do as well. I will be posting more. (I probably should be arrested for negligence!) What I will not do is participate in the bullshit that the world has been providing me lately. Now I know what it feels like to be a "junkie!" I was drugged! I was residing in crack houses for gifted scribes! My creative juices dried up... My throat has been parched. I had things to say but could not say them. I could not even move... I just sat there in that one spot, urinating on myself. My words dripped from the crotch of my pants. I was crippled!<br />
Then, I got saved! My faith never left me... I was depressed, but I broke free of that bondage. I am back to where I never left.<br />
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I am writing something that will be psychologically damaging to the human mind. It is a story about modern day slavery, woven in the fabric of relative change. The backdrop is the seedy side of a pro sport where a degenerate dwells. He preys on the mentally weak and displays his wealth arrogantly. Stay tuned...LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-9767608601040462492013-05-14T11:18:00.000-05:002013-05-14T11:18:26.796-05:00Some Dumb Ass Shit!May 14th, Tuesday... Right now I am dealing with some kind of cold that is beyond my comprehension. My nose is running... I am coughing violently! My head is pounding so hard, my forehead looks like someone is trying to breakout like Andy in "Shawshank Redemption!" Anyway, I'm flipping channels on the television and I stop on the Wendy Williams Show. Personally speaking, I don't like her show because she is a busy body! (No, I don't care for Oprah either!) That being said, she was talking about Will Smith allowing his 15 year old son to move out of their house because he wants to be emancipated! (Remember, I'm sick!)<br />
What I want to know is, what kind of hell is going on in their house when a 15 year old wants out, and you are willing to let him out? Last time I checked, the Smith household, on appearance, looks to be one of the more lavish establishments money can buy. How blessed can you be to be afforded that kind of living without lifting a finger to afford it? And, you (the 15 year old) now has an acting career to boot! <br />
I feel so bad for Will Smith's son. His life must be awful! The problem I see with Will Smith is that he is buying into his son's BULLSHIT!!!LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-36646928369848863892013-04-13T13:58:00.000-05:002013-04-13T13:58:43.490-05:00The Defecation of MemoryApril 13th, Saturday... I was thinking about how people treat time. Christian logic is that no one is in control of his or her time. That's GOD's piece. There is no promise of tomorrow to anyone. All you have is what you have until you don't have it anymore. Yet most folks think that they have all the time in the world. What that lends oneself to do is procrastinate about one's life. Who really can think about being in the moment?<br />
Early on, it was drilled into me that I was to live in the moment. I was told to make a psychological profile of what I was doing when I was doing it. I did not get it then but, somehow, I tried to adopt and practice what I was told to do. In retrospect, I can recollect what I did when I did it which allows me to enjoy what I did that much more when thinking about it. When I talk to whomever I was with when a particular event took place, the laughs seem deeper and funnier. So I beg the question: Why do people waste so much damn time?<br />
I have gotten to the point where I cannot be around people who sit around and idly chit-chat about nothing. I cannot even listen to people I don't know talk about anything that does not seem to be going in some sort of direction. I went to a book fair today and heard a man, who happens to be running for a political office, talk about being a supporter for a particular county's school system but he sends his kids to the expensive private school where the event was being held. That's cool but... I mean, granted the time, how will that be explained down the road and in the explanation will the truth be revealed? Does it matter? Should I care? I live in the moment, I don't care!LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-33064717487842328652013-04-12T12:41:00.000-05:002013-04-12T12:41:35.238-05:00Ain't This Some Shit?April 11th, Friday... I was on my Facebook account and saw a picture of a woman I went to college with. I started laughing because the last conversation we had, we established that we would go to the movies together. We never kept the date! Why?<br />
She's attractive, still. She has done well in her life. I thought we might get along... Then I remembered what she said that turned me off! Paraphrasing, she made the comment that we could go out but I should not entertain the idea that I could get in her pants! Whoa...WTF!<br />
First of all, I could NEVER get into her pants. I am much bigger and taller than her. Secondly, what is so special about her pants that would make me want to get into them? I am thinking that one's personality would be the primary to attract me to even consider wanting to have sex with her. To display such arrogance as a prerequisite to wanting to have sex is a misnomer. I'm thinking that mood lighting, some alcoholic libation, and some sexy talk would do it for me! But to assume that I want your ass is one thing and to turn me down before I even asked is yet another (thing).<br />
I am older, smarter, and much wiser than I was in college. I'm too old to chase women, now, even know that is the assumed rule of the game. I'm from the Richard Pryor school of sex. Outside of having sex with the women I have had, there is no sex as good as my hand! LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-52990190171834390662013-04-09T12:04:00.000-05:002013-04-09T12:04:58.803-05:00Oh Shit!April 9th, Tuesday... Let me preface what I am about to write by saying I grew up in poverty! That being said, I was in the ATL for the Final 4. I did not see a game. I did not run into any old friends that are coaches. In fact, I never got to downtown Atlanta to see anything relating to the Final 4! What I did get to do was stay in a mansion! Not a 5 star hotel... I stayed in a freakin' mansion! Never in my life I thought that I would get to experience how the other half lived! (And I enjoyed every stinking minute of it!) I stayed in the east wing of the house. The east freakin' wing! It was like a private studio apartment, only bigger! I enjoyed all the rights and privileges of the house. I ate, I drank... I was invited out to breakfast and rode in a S550 Benz. I watched movies in a home theatre with surround sound and 3D capability. I basked in the lap of luxury and I enjoyed the experience. And then it happened... I had to leave! (Crickets...) <br />
I don't regret living the life I have lived so far. I have enjoyed my adventures, good and bad. But I have to tell you... Being rich does have its advantages! But I am thinking that if I had that lifestyle, I would be an idiot today. Not that the people that allowed me to stay with them are "idiots." I am saying that "I would be an idiot!" I would have no perspective. I probably don't have one now. What I do have is an experience that I will never forget! ThankYou Father!LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-69460624664317071792013-04-03T16:25:00.000-05:002013-04-03T16:25:01.139-05:00More Shit To Deal With...April 3rd, Wednesday... Last week was a bitch! My favorite Aunt died in her sleep! The kicker is that she was taking care of my Moms, who is in the hospital! Now my family is flippin'! Okay, tell me; what is it about "death" that turns reasonable thinking people into morons? <br />
I've been told that death is a part of the cycle of life. No, you don't get to live forever. You may be Christian and looking for the Kingdom, but that's a different kind of living once you die! <br />
Don't get me wrong... I'm bent out of shape over her death. I have choked up a couple of times in all the wrong places. I have not seen much of her and now I can't see her at all. The service was Episcopalian. It was structured and dry. She was cremated. The Urn sat on a table beside her picture. She had Polio most of her adult life but it did not stop her from doing her thing. I admired her. My hope is that she will always watch over me(?). <br />
I did not get the chance to break the news to my mother. My cousin took that away from me. (Seems like it was a decision that was made from an attitude that stemmed from exercising "total autonomy!")<br />
My hope is that her death will trigger the shit hitting the fan in my family. Some folks need to be humbled! GOD has blessed her and I hope HE keeps her! I love you Aunt Gloria... More than I ever told you. In Jesus name, Amen!LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-19892292943923056682013-03-09T11:53:00.000-05:002013-03-09T11:53:01.265-05:00Some Shit I Will Never Forget!March 9th, Saturday... Living in America is a challenge! There are so many obstacles to overcome, it blows the mind! Housing is bad. Making decent money is hard. Jobs are scarce.People are cranky. There is a gun problem....A gang problem. Education is inadequate. People are frustrated! And then there is the biggy... RACISM!!!In the land of freedom (allegedly) racism plays a big role in the demise of the fabric of American society. There is no getting around it. It affects everyone! (Even the ones in denial.) <br />
I will never forget my first encounter with racism. It was a very cold and snowy morning on January 30, 1951. It was approximitly 3 a.m. I was the tender age of 3 seconds old when a white, Jewish doctor smacked me on my ass! (That shit hurt!) My mother did not (could not) defend me. She was too busy complaining about her back hurting. I was dangling upside down, being held by my feet like a captured slave. I was hungry and hurting. I felt like I passed through a tight tunnel... searching for FREEDOM! (Harriett, where were you when I needed you?) Ever since then, it has been down hill for me.<br />
I don't know what other people's walk of life is like, but if it is anything like mine, they are in for a rough time. If only a little compassion could be exercised. If only people could be mindful of the fact that we need each other to make things better... Ahhh... What the hell am I thinking? This is America!LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-51675727218466974222013-03-04T16:26:00.002-05:002013-03-04T16:26:54.870-05:00Some Shit I Have To Deal WithMarch 4th, Monday... I was online, looking at some pictures of John Coltrane. My mind then jumped to the memory of his wife, Alice Coltrane and her album Journey in Satchidananda. From there I thought about Bobby Hutcherson and his piece, "Slow Change" and I pulled up the video and listened to the piece... And then my mind flipped! I was listening to this stuff back in the '60's! What the hell happened to me?<br />
I am obviously going through a brain damaged thing... I used to be on top of what was happening in the (my) world. I was locked in. I started writing because I had a way with words. I knew how to put them together. I read a lot of material and formulated opinions and my mindset, based on the knowledge I was receiving. Then, something happened... WTF!<br />
Well, I'm back to where I left. Somehow I got reminded of how I used to be and how I used to think. I'm back to acting my age and not my shoe size! It's a funny thing about getting older. "Youth is wasted on the young!" I was pretty cool as a young man and I allowed whatever I had to get away from me. But, in retrospect, I see what happened. Thank GOD I even have the sense (now) to see what happened. It's not just about book learning. Anyone can learn to read... Hell, anyone can go to school and be taught. But obtaining knowledge is like learning how to box. When you are ready to apply what you have learned, you have to combinate your knowledge. It has to work for you so that it can work for others. When you get older, you have to pass it on... You also have to know how!<br />
I'm going "back to the future!" LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-25403774598485156042013-02-27T15:48:00.000-05:002013-02-27T15:48:42.561-05:00Check This Shit Out!February 27th, Wednesday... I 'm sitting here reflecting on my life when this thought popped in my brain... When I was a kid, I used to lie, bigtime! If I did something wrong and got caught, I would lie to my mother because of the punishment she would bestow upon me. It amazed me how adamant my mother was about kicking my ass when she found out that I had lied about something...<br />
As I got older, I realized that it was time to put childish things away. I stopped lying! As I matured, I came to terms with telling the truth, no matter what the cost. I learned to look whomever I was speaking to in the eyes and reveal whatever, with honesty because I became confident and strong when I told the truth. Funny... I thought my evolution was complete when I became an adult. My experience, now, is that when I tell the truth, people don't believe me! It's as if the truth is too far fetched to believe these days. Ain't that a bitch? Looking people in the eyes, verbal agreements, handshakes... That shit means nothing these days.Why give your word on your good name? Where I live, no one even uses the name their mommas gave them. (Everybody has a "nickname!") I used to rely on the news to tell the truth. Can I do that now with all of the show biz BS that goes along with it? Reality shows? What the fuck is that? What reality? Where is the truth when I am looking at a woman and she has altered her face and body with either makeup or plastic surgery or both... Or, she may not be a woman at all! I ended a relationship with a woman because of her devoted conviction to Christianity. What's wrong with that? Psychologically she was (is) dating Christ! Truth be told...<br />
Hey, I'm done! I no longer wish to participate with this charade! No, suicide is not an option. I'll just sit on the porch and watch the (so called) "big dogs" play. The vision reminds me of my childhood, when I used to watch the L'il Rascals. Now there was some reality TV I enjoyed! No lie...<br />
LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-71430758285941991512013-02-26T15:11:00.000-05:002013-02-26T15:11:30.034-05:00Ain't This Some Shit?February 26th, Tuesday... Considering that this is the end of "Black History Month, I was wondering how much black youth have learned about their history? I work with a psychologist and he pointed out, to me, that Black people (my people) seem to be complacent with the idea that all is okay as long as they have a big screen TV and can order carryout!<br />
Now, I know and have been around alot of poor black folk but the common thread has been that they have a big screen TV and I don't know any black person that does not have a cell phone! (Carryout can be ordered on the run!) Has slavery and the Civil Rights Movement not made a dent? Quiet is kept, slavery is relative. The times, housing, or the lack thereof, the 'Hood are the modern day version of slavery. Black folks are enslaved to the system. We are uneducated, even though there are schools everywhere. Prisons are still being built. Amongst blacks, the crime rate is super high! Black babies are being killed at an alarming rate by, get this, other black babies! Yet the trappings of being on the planet have been reduced to watching TV and eating fast food.<br />
Of course this does not apply to all but it does apply in places least expected. I'm sure my opinion can be debated by those who are cunning enough to manipulate the numbers from the many surveys that aid in determining the censis count and I do not claim to have surveyed anyone. However, I do work in the 'Hood and bear witness to the mindset of the youth of that 'Hood. It's a sad deal...<br />
Black History should not be reduced to a month. There is no limitation on gaining knowledge. A cell phone can be utilized for better use and fast food is, well... need I say more?LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-54531365712482507142013-02-17T15:37:00.000-05:002013-02-17T15:37:06.882-05:00More Shit To Deal With...February 17th, Sunday... Today is the NBA's feature Allstar game and the sports world is abuzz! Oh the pageantry of it all! On top of that, it is Michael Jordan's 50th birthday! Yay for Mike! I listen to sport's talk radio and the talking heads are making a real big deal out of it! There has been story after story about MJ's storied basketball life and I have to tell you, I am bored shitless!<br />
It's been over 20 years since MJ won his last NBA title, which deems him "irrelevant" in my book. As far as I am concerned, LeBron James is the "now" big thing to forget about 20 years down the road! MJ won 6 NBA titles... So what! Bill Russell won eleven! MJ looked like he could fly when he jumped. So did Dr. J! (Julius Erving) To let the pundits tell it, Michael is self-centered, arrogant, shady... They say that's who he is. Who wants to be around someone like that? Funny thing, Jordan always seems to look like he doesn't want anyone around him. He is too self-absorbed. (I wonder how many mirrors he has cracked?) <br />
Michael once said (I am paraphrasing) "Don't be surprised if you see me in the NBA at 50!" "Paleeeeese" come back and play at 50! Please? I would love to see MJ try to compete at his age now! I'm sure Mike's take off to the basket would look like the Wright Brothers first flight! They say that he is a great "shit" talker! That's what he should be now... A shit talker. Keep your memories, live in the past, and stay on the porch! The BIG BOYS are running now. Not grumpy old men! <br />
Today is the last day of the allstar festivities. It's also the last day for MJ's 50th birthday. Unfortunately, the allstar game will be forgotten in a few days. But, will MJ's birthday follow the same demise? Inshallah...LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-54273255564510612122013-02-08T20:12:00.000-05:002013-02-08T20:12:53.707-05:00Some Sad Shit!February 8th, Friday... I'm watching a program called NFL Characters Unite on USA about kids being encouraged by star athletes to express themselves, as it relates to them being bullied or harrassed for some particular reason. I'm watching and I'm feeling different emotions like anger and sorrow and fear... I'm a grown (ass) man and I'm tearing up while listening to the stories these kids are telling.<br />
I guess I suffered somewhat when I was a kid. I had nothing, materially. But, I did have a strong mother who held it down while nurturing me with confidence and strength. I grew up with such intestional fortitude, it did not seem fair. I'm not saying that I did not have my moments when I crawled into a corner and assumed the fetal position, but even with that I gained strength! <br />
I am meeting kids who lack confidence and courage and the will to go on. I see dispair and a hopelessness that overpowers them and it disturbs me. I see greed in agencies designed to help children. Grant money being allocated towards home improvement opposed to character improvement. Personal motorpools being enhanced instead of swimming pools being constructed for hot summer days. <br />
I cannot get it in my head to ignore the ignorance of the gate keepers who hoard and manipulate the system, for whatever reason. I am amazed at the arrogance and gall of those who are in charge but cannot lead the charge for what is right. <br />
I guess that is why I feel great joy to work with an organization called Higher Hopes, Inc. It was started by a brother named (Dr.) Bruce Purnell who had an epithany early on and committed himself to working with youth to help better their psychological and social condition. <br />
It is my hope that those who read my blog will connect with Higher Hopes, Inc. and the Overground Freeway on Facebook. Click the "Like" icon and follow us! C'mon... You can do it!LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-47141763592598400722013-01-22T11:35:00.000-05:002013-01-22T11:35:02.669-05:00Ain't This Some Shit?January 22nd, Tuesday... I just read a funny basketball article on Yahoo Sports about Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers lost to the Chicago Bulls last night and Kobe (The Black Momba!) was sitting in the lockerroom after the team had left. Oh there were all these words about Kobe playing under the 6 (count 'em) championship banners Michael Jordan won (Yeah, he did it all by himself!) and how Kobe was chasing Jordan's mark. The article talked about how the Lakers are losing, uncharacteristic to them and are out of the playoff picture right now. It also talked about how D'Antoni's (the coach) system wasn't working and the player's are having a hard time adjusting to it. Waa...waa...waa...<br />
It is funny to me that Kobe is putting all of this on HIS shoulders like he is playing one on five. The problem with that is he, like other "superstars," has taken it upon himself to believe that the Lakers are his team! Truth be told, the Lakers are now Jimmy Buss' team! Jerry Buss passed the torch to his son to run the squad and he has done a F'ed up job! So far, he has hired two wrong coaches and snubbed Phil Jackson, the Moses of pro basketball, who is also engaged to his sister. (How does that work?) What Kobe and any other "superstar" needs to come to terms with is that the Lakers is NOT his team! The only decision that matters to the powers that be is that Kobe is healthy enough to play 82 games and beyond during a season. That whole business about running business matters through "The Man" is bullshit! Business is business and everyone needs to learn how to mind their own business! It's Buss' team to screw up and he has done his job. Kobe and all the other players need to do their job. It about adjusting to the situation and let the scene play out. <br />
Hey, I get it! Kobe makes a crap load of money but the money is incidental in pro basketball. You get paid what they (the powerbase) thinks you are worth; Not what you think you're worth! After you play your 48 minutes a night, you are invisible! <br />
So, boohoo to the Lakers. They are in a real funk and no one seems to have the answer. (Actually, someone does have the answer but he is comunicata-non-grata right now!) Teams function in a cycle and the Lakers are beginning a new one. They probably wouldn't believe this but they are now in the "Season of the Witch!" Ain't that a bitch?LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-23209229426052341192013-01-06T16:54:00.000-05:002013-01-06T16:54:50.297-05:00For What?January 6th, Sunday... Happy New Year everybody! I hope your entrance into 2013 was safe and hopefully everyone is over their drunkin' stupor!/ I came in cool. It was quiet and peaceful... Just the way I like it.<br />
Of course I did not make any New Year's resolutions! For what? I would not have followed them! Whatever changes I want to make, they are long terms things that I constantly work on. Besides, what's to change? Do I want to get better at any one thing? Hell no! I play hard in whatever I do. I write hard! I believe in GOD hard! I love hard! If I like you, I like you hard! I live hard. I believe in the truth hard! If I date a woman and we break up, we break up hard! I either go all out or I go home! Shit, I cry hard! I'm not making any "punkass" resolutions! I live it totally... Not from year to year. If I screw up, I screw up hard! Perfection? Please! I'm damn near perfect w/ the imperfections! I'm GOD built! Do I make mistakes? Yes! I will continue to make mistakes! I will own them and keep it moving! Does everybody like me? Hell no! I don't care! I don't need enemies... I have friends! No enemy can screw me better than my friends. <br />
I'm not trying to impress anyone! For what? I dress sloppy! I'm not into fashion... I had a friend who once told me he was into fashion. He had GQ mags all over the place. Shit, he could afford it! I'd rather feed a starving baby than wear a designer suit. I feel like if my clothes are clean and I take a shower everyday, I'm good! <br />
2013, Take me as I am. I got this far. Whatever time is alotted to me from this point on, I'm going HARD! Besides, it's a GOD thing! I have nothing to do w/ it! Thankyou Father!!!LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-18651797643291382472012-12-31T16:52:00.000-05:002012-12-31T16:52:03.624-05:00Read This Shit!December 31st, Monday... I went online and read about all of the coach firings in the NFL (National Football League). I guess I was not surprised that so many coaches got canned (7) but one particular story got my attention. I read an article about Andy Reid (former head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles) and the article stated that Reid coached 14 years for that team. He has had success in 13 of those 14 years (the list is too long to write!). He did this and that and the other... This season he went 4 for 12. But, the article never talked about how bad of a coach he is. (Probably because he is NOT a bad coach!) So, what's my point?<br />
I'm glad you asked! I'm thinking that if Andy Reid was fired, why would you not talk about how lousy he was as a coach? Why not talk about what a sorry job he's done? The article talked about how great his legacy is (w/ that team) and how he won this and that! Screw that! Why not talk abot what a sorry coach he's been and how the players shut down because of his bad coaching! It (the article) never mentioned anything about how bas his players were this season. I'm thinking that maybe the players should have been fired! (Sadly, you cannot fire the players! SHIT!) <br />
I don't get pro sports! Those boys do the most assinine stuff most of the time. Imagine firing a coach because he has been successful? (I wonder what Philly would have done to Reid if He really screwed up? Wait a minute... I just had a vision: I see the Rocky statue... Next to it is Reid, swinging in the breeze w/ a noose around his neck!) Ahh... The city of Brotherly Love!LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-56266872771832700732012-12-21T10:29:00.000-05:002012-12-21T10:29:40.021-05:00Some More BS!December 21st, Friday... I am sitting at the computer and I am flipping channels on the TV... I ran across the movie Dead Poets Society, which is a story about a teacher who inspires his studends to "seize the day" and later gets fired for because of his mantra. Then I flip the channel and find the Wendy Williams Show, which is a talk show hosted by a woman who is a freakin' busy body. So I am watching this and the camera pans the audience... Mrs. Williams is preaching (subliminally) to her captive audience to live their lives, vicariously, through celebrities. Then she tells a story about a past affection she had for a boy who dumped her and the moral to the story is she ended up being on TV, with a talk show, and where is he? <br />
Okay, there is an argument that television is a tool for entertainment purposes. There is also an argument that television can be educational. I don't knowwhat to believe to be honest but I do know this: I am smart enough to be able to watch television because I am smart enough to know what BULLSHIT is. (I was trained!) <br />
To Whom It May Concern: Please train your children so that they can watch television with some semblance of intelligence. Do not allow them to absorb BULLSHIT! Don't waste your money on a 63" screen television only to watch mindless shows that will suck the moral fiber out of them quicker than a case of diarrhea! You have been warned!LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-27454420652906901162012-12-20T20:30:00.000-05:002012-12-20T20:30:31.873-05:00More Bullshit!December 20th, Thursday... Long before the invention of ESPN, sports news was, well sports news. The talking heads told you the teams, the games, the scores and sometimes a little fluff piece about a player. Now-a-days, with the addition of ESPN, news about sports is damn near all fluff! The "talking heads" are the celebrities and the it's all about them. Mike and Mike, who come on (my) radio at 6 a.m. weekdays are like Abbott and Costello. They do schtick! Steven A. Smith, the cool, "I have a way with words" brother from New York can (and will) take you on a roller coaster ride with words when he starts talking... WHEW! (Does anybody have a barf bag?) And then there is Rob Parker, the part-time co-host of the ESPN show, Fast Break, who's commentary does not necessarily grab you until he says something stupid... Well, the other day he said something real stupid! RGIII (Robert Griffin the 3rd), the phenom quarterback for the Washington Redskins in the NFL was labeled a "Cornball Brother" by Parker. It seems that these days with the advent of Hip-Hop and bling and "booty-clappers," it's not cool to be Black and educated, and speak well during interviews and act civilized, according to Parker, i.e. "cornball brother!"<br />
What? Can Black folk have any dignity? Can we (yes, I'm Black!) behave with some decency when out in public without having to endure someone, who has a handle on a media outlet, designate us as "corny," or "nerdy," or not hip enough to merit favorable commentary? <br />
I don't know... My thinking is news is news and entertainment is entertainment and "never the twain (should) meet!" Opinions about people mean nothing to me because opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one and they all stink!LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-15475466507100651732012-12-15T18:12:00.000-05:002012-12-15T18:12:20.894-05:00What The...?December 15, Saturday... It's that time of year again people! It's Christmas! Time for Santa Clause and Christmas cards! Time for decorating the house with trees and ornaments and lights! Time for presents! You know, peace on Earth, goodwill towards men! It's time to recognize the birthday of Christ, every Christian's Lord and Savior! It's also time to protect your belongings and and keeping your head on a swivel! It's time to be careful out there. Yeah, right...<br />
But, here is what I cannot seem to get into my head! I DO NOT UNDERSTAND how some mixed up, unattended psycho can go into a school and KILL 20 children! And, his mother, has guns stockpiled in her crib, giving access to someone so unstable... It boggles my mind! I mean, is this recognized as some sort of variation of attrition? Should nothing be done, by way of the law as it relates to having one who is unstable to not be committed? And, in an elementary school? A place where babies dwell? Killed his mother... And here is the ass kicker: He killed himself!!!<br />
I don't know. Maybe I'm stupid. My thinking is that if I had a problem and I wanted it all to end, I'd just take myself out! But, I guess it's true that misery DOES love company!Fuckin' weird!<br />
LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-7380658719247785112012-12-12T18:12:00.000-05:002012-12-12T18:12:02.427-05:00Shit Happens12/12/12, Wednesday... When I was growing up in Brooklyn, my mother was a big influence in my life. Whatever she said, I did! I would not say that I was a "momma's boy" but I was obedient and respectful. I was also fearful! My mother was a big voiced, strong willed and take action kind of woman. If I wanted to do something, and she did not want me to do it, it was not done! I remember begging my mother to let go into a bar because my friend's family was going there for a party. I went to the bar but I dared not to go in... (I could have gone in. She wasn't there to see if I did it or not!)<br />
In retrospect, I have to laugh because I used to ask my mother for permission to do EVERYTHING! It did not matter what it was, I asked her for her permission. Here are some of the things I asked her to do: I asked her if I could join a gang! I asked her if I could use drugs and be more like my friends. I asked her if I could join the BLACK PANTHERS and carry a gun. I asked her if I could join the Black Muslims and change my name. I asked her if I could date white women. I remember asking her if I could get a girl preggers and become a "dead beat" dad. Needless to say, she wouldn't let me do any of those things!<br />
Now that I am where I am in my life, I realize that my mother was very restrictive and stunted my growth. I have no real memories of my past and I draw a blank when I try to reminiscence about how I grew up. Damn! Sometimes mothers can be so mean!LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454991898982186699.post-32368427223942753522012-11-11T17:04:00.000-05:002012-11-13T16:48:29.951-05:00Shit HappensNovember 11th, Sunday... "Homeboy in da house!" President Obama is back in the White House and there are some pissed off people in the country! I mean, what's the big deal? If G. W. Bush can do eight years, why be pissed off about Obama? If the racial component is supposed to be "non existent" why be so upset? I mean, Mitt Romney? Are you serious? It seems like every time he opened his mouth, his foot fit perfectly in it!<br />
Look, he is a rich man and he will live very comfortably for the rest of his life but... Truth be told, the Republican Party needs to get their "sh!t" together. Their track record is butt ugly! Besides, the way the world is going, no one man may be able to "fix it!" It's a GOD thing. The job market is a mess. The housing market is a mess... The Economy is a mess and those things did not just fall apart four years ago!<br />
Hearts have to soften and mindsets have to change before some real results surface. This has all been prophesized! It's about people and how they conduct their business. If corruption and profit is prevelant, nothing will get done. Obama may not be the best, but he damn sure ain't the worst! <br />
Okay, I'll start... I don't have a house or a job and I'm not "bitchin'" about a damn thing! I'm breathing and that is all I can ask for. It could be worse... I could be a woman and get pregnant due to a rape and Romney could be President. GOD has a plan!LDLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14784640830040301728noreply@blogger.com1